Audiophile Bass?

Right. Its getting to where I don't even like to use terms like transparent or neutral or revealing because of the way all those are associated with hifi sound that's really just one thing or another that someone has managed to hype in a way some will notice favorably. HT is a wasteland of hype with not one good thing to be said for it. Which is a shame, because HT done right is absolutely wonderful. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 

The bass in my system is beyond bass. For sure it could be even better, there's no such thing as a ceiling as far as I can tell, just endlessly better and better, but its reached a level you have to listen to an awful lot of movies and music to even begin to get a feel for whatever sins its committing... or omitting. Cinematic thuds are never thuds but surgically precise strikes that hit you in the butt- or solar plexus, or chest, or wherever. Point is no two are the same, they are not even thuds really but actually have individual character, which tells me what I'm getting is what's on the sound track. Its never, ever the boom boom boom you hear walking down the aisle at the cineplex, let alone sitting in the million dollar high end demo room.

Its better than all of those, and yet it cost nowhere near what you'd think. Which is why I keep yammering and ranting on and on trying to get through to people. For all the good it does. Mike gets it. Tim. There's a few of us. 

Wish there were more.

^^^ Bass should have a tonal accuracy to it. My system produces it. There are three 10" woofers on each side of the speakers, one front-firing, one rear-firing, and one down-firing. I had a devil of a time getting the room dialed in, in order to get that accurate bass sound.

An acoustic, stand-up bass, should sound like an acoustic stand-up bass. Same with orchestral kettle drums, bass drums, and Koto drums. After all, bass is music, right?

On HT ... I'm not into that, but I have heard fantastic HT systems set up properly with amazingly accurate bass. Cannon shots, explosions, helicopters flying overhead, etc., sound exactly as they should.  It is a totally immersive experience for sure.

If a person is talking about bass "slam," in my opinion, they are on the wrong track.

Frank

IMO  "Audiophile Bass"  should mean a flat response as low as you can get.  Not a big subwoofer going thump thump thump with a 10-20+ dB bass boost.  That is for kids and home theater.
There is a place for subwoofers in some systems.   But they should be crossed over to match where your main speakers start to tail off.    Just like the crossover point for your drivers and tweeters.  You shouldn't notice any humps and everything should have a flat response.

I agree, delkal97.  Bass should be a part of the music, not a dominating force.

I like bread and butter, I like toast and jam.  One of the most surprisingly things I've found in a sea of surprising things is how much bass that is on the CD is missing in action, which I attribute entirely to the fluttering of the disc during play and stray scattered laser light. Yes, I know what you're thinking - "but my system already sounds fabulous."